Amitriptyline?

[Buttonmoon299]

I have suffered from hypothyroidism for many years and have been helped hugely by all you knowledgeable people. However, I also suffer from osteoporosis-arthritis and during the lockdown suffered an arthritic flare in my hip because I was gardening too hard! It was so painful I agreed to take Amitrptyline to see if it helped, even though it had a warning for thyroid sufferers, especially it seemed those with Graves.

Even though I am gluten and dairy free and am really careful with my diet, I have started to put on weight and my tummy is becoming fat! Could this be the effect of the painkillers on thyroxine or the fact I haven’t been able to be as active? I would appreciate your comments.

[tattybogle]

Just for general info. Amitriptyline is a Tri Cyclic Antidepressant not a pain killer.

It is often used at low dose for nerve pain, and also because it can make you sleep.

GP's seem to be offering it to me for anything and everything nowaday's even though i have a bad experience with it in the past (crashed my van for the first time ever in 25 yrs, at 4.pm after taking one amitriptyline the night before!) And despite the mention of interactions with Levo.

[Buttonmoon299 in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, it made me sleep better and no, it did not essentially help with pain. Back to co-codamol, which also is not perfect. I dislike medications in principle!!

[tattybogle in reply to Buttonmoon299]

Once i had read up on all the potential side effects of Amitriptyline, i decided never to touch the stuff again...... it is an extensive and often horrific list.

also i'm cynical...... and i wonder if they just prescribe it because they can see it's been offered before......and i wonder if they think it might help with the 'depression' that i've never had, but does seem to manage to find it's way into my notes regardless.

I've been prescribed it on several occasions, but only tried it twice very briefly, and GP's have not once said anything about the fact that it's got contra-indications for Levo on the patient information leaflet. I'm not sure why they don't seem bothered by that, possibly because it's not a problem at low dose, don't know ?

[Buttonmoon299 in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you for that. I have avoided any more serious painkillers for years but on this occasion had to do something. As you say, never again!

[humanbean]

I developed side effects from low-dose amitriptyline prescribed for pain. In my case I developed tachycardia (very fast heart rate, 150+ beats per minute) and had to come off it.

Some years later I saw a pain consultant who suggested I try nortriptyline, a newer drug in the same biochemical family as amitriptyline. I was assured that fewer people got side effects from it. In my case I developed tachycardia again, but at a lower rate of 135+ beats per minute. So I came off that one too.

The annoying thing was that both drugs actually reduced my pain quite well. *Sigh*

[Buttonmoon299 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you for replying, I do appreciate your time. I do hope you find something that works successfully for your pain.

[humanbean in reply to Buttonmoon299]

Naproxen and Tramadol is working for me at the moment.

[Buttonmoon299 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you. Will investigate.

[Mhymer]

I’ve been on amitriptylion for over 5 years for my jaw , then increased to 25 mg , because I was having constant pain in my legs, it has helped with that and if I miss a day , I wake up in agony with pains in my legs , but I didn’t know it affected people with Graves’ disease,

[puffyface]

Amatriptaline made me put on weight! Also really messes with my hormones...or that might be my age!

[PurpleDee]

Hi Buttonmoon; I have hypothyrodism and take levo, I put my weight gain down to that. I'm prescribed Amitriptyline for nerve pain in my jaw but to be honest it doesn't really do much for the pain, and leaves me feeling really tired first thing in a morning; a bit spaced out, so I don't take it often as I have to drive in a morning, then I'm working on spreadsheets so not the best thing to take.

[Buttonmoon299 in reply to PurpleDee]

Yes, I would agree about not dealing with the pain. Hypo does indeed cause weight gain and over the last 40 years, I have been very heavy. However, and surprisingly, about 10 years ago when I began suffering from arthritis I also developed gastritis, caused by the NSAIDs prescribed at that time for the pain. Not being able to eat caused the weight to fall off, which in turn helped my arthritic joints! Since then, I have kept the weight off by becoming gluten and dairy free (I have been a vegetarian for nearly 40 years), optimising my vitamin intake and I found this very helpful website and have been trying to follow advice on here, both for hypo and for arthritis. Tai Chi exercises also helped.

Amitriptyline was a new venture, suggested by my GP for my hip pain which was so severe, I could no longer walk! Not a good choice for many reasons and I will pursue other options - hip replacement was one suggestion!